Redemption
by christywitha CH
Summary: Draco Malfoy is given a second chance to make right all who he's wronged as a Death Eater. Will he do so?


Rain fell from the midnight sky with rage, piercing the windows of the Malfoy Manor. Seventeen year old Draco Malfoy sat in a chair, replaying the events of the evening in his head. He was required to shed innocent blood to get details for the Dark Lord. Draco was one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers and part of his inner circle of apprentices.

Draco had been sent on a mission to find Hermione Granger, the best friend of Harry Potter. His mission was to interrogate Hermione and find out where they were hiding their military recruits for the Order. She refused to tell him, so he did what he had to in order to satisfy the Dark Lord.

Draco shoved Hermione against the bedroom wall and held his dagger to her throat. He was holding his wand in his left hand. He was exhausted and simply wanted to get the information he was commanded to get. "I don't have to kill you if you tell me where they are being hid," he said.

"I'd die before I'd tell _you _anything," she said. She spat in his face in utter disgust. The girl had nerve, but nerve was certainly something Draco wasn't fond of.

In anger, he used his dagger to make an incision down the side of her face and down her arms. She tried her hardest not to show weakness by screaming, but let out a few gasps and groans due to the immense amount of pain. "Okay, Mudblood, but after I finish killing you, I'm going to go find your little Weasley friend and torture her for information. If she doesn't give any up, then I'll find your precious Potter. I don't care if I have to kill every last of your blood traitor friends and the Chosen One _himself_." He pushed the dagger a tiny bit closer to her neck. The pressure was beginning to cut off her circulation. "I'll make sure they all know I'm killing them because _you_ wouldn't tell me where they're being trained."

"And they'll all be proud of me for keeping my mouth shut," she said strongly, not showing the pain she was in. She was close to screaming. If she believed he would kill her, she would've at least made an effort to defend herself.

Draco formed a new plan, not wanting to waste time on a stubborn Mudblood such as Hermione. He lifted his wand, muttered "Avada Kedavra," and left her bleeding on the floor. He was going to do what he promised the dead Mudblood before her death. He silently made his way over to the east side of the Burrow where he knew he would find Ginny.

He climbed down the edge of the Burrow, slid open her window, and climbed into her room. He walked over to her bed then placed his hand over her mouth. She immediately woke up. She tried to scream, but Draco quieted her.

After he knew she would remain quiet, he removed his hand.

She cleared her throat and sat up in bed, "Draco, what are you doing here?"

"Not what you're doing here, love," he bitterly stated. Ginny was once a lover of his. She'd betrayed him when she went back to Potter. He'd seen her a few times since then, but only when he was out on missions. "Now, I came wanting information and I expect you to give it to me."

"What do you want to know?" Ginny asked tiredly. She'd always had hope he would leave his wretched father and his evil ways behind.

"Where are you hiding your new Order recruits?"

"You know I can't tell you that, Draco."

"What if I go kill Granger because you won't tell me? I'll be sure to tell her it's entirely your fault she's being killed," Draco said, knowing Ginny had no idea Hermione was already dead.

"You wouldn't kill her-" she started. Tears of fear began to pile in her eyes. A tear dripped down her cheek.

"Where are the recruits being hidden?" he asked again. Draco had little patience when he was tired. He inhaled deeply when he realized she was going to be just as stubborn as her friend.

"I can't tell you, now leave. I'm sending men from the Order down to Hermione's room. If you leave now you won't have to be harmed." She got up and began to nervously walk toward her door. Draco grabbed her arm and stopped her. He pressed his fingers deeply into her skin, leaving a bruise as a legacy of each finger.

"I'll kill you right now and then go kill your friend," he said pulling out his dagger. "Believe me, I will."

She tried to yell for help, but Draco swiftly put his hand over her mouth.

"Tell me what I want to know." He removed his hand from her mouth and pressed his wand against her neck.

Draco wouldn't have killed Hermione and harmed Ginny like this if his life wasn't in danger. Better a mudblood and a blood-traitor die than himself…

"The East Village Mountain. There is a cave up there; they all train there every day. They arrive right before the sun rises," she choked out.

Draco kept the wand pointed at her.

"Where is some paper?" Draco asked.

Ginny pointed to a desk in the corner, doing whatever she was asked to keep Hermione safe.

Draco dug around until he found a piece of paper. He handed Ginny a pen. "Write what I say," he instructed.

She nodded her head as a second tear fell from her crying eyes.

"I'm gone. Don't come looking for me; you won't find me. I learned that Hermione was working for the Dark Lord and knew she had to be killed. After my experiences with the Dark Lord and being possessed by him as a child, it was more pain than I could bear, seeing her like that. Therefore I killed her. I'm sorry, but it is what should have been done. I can't stay here anymore."

Ginny wrote what Draco said slowly, praying he wasn't going to kill Hermione.

"Why are you doing this, Draco?" Ginny managed between sobs.

"Now, sign it."

She scribbled the bottom of it, her hand practically vibrating in fear.

"By the way, I killed that mudblood long before I came over here," Draco said smirking. He wanted to watch Ginny suffer and hurt. He wanted to see her hurt the same way she watched him hurt all those years ago.

She attempted at a sob as Malfoy tightly confined her arms so she wouldn't try to escape.

Draco pulled from his pocket a silver ring with a beautiful green emerald and slipped it on his finger. As soon as it landed on the base of his finger, they disappeared.

Draco stepped out onto the balcony outside his room. His blond hair stuck to his forehead and fell into his eyes as the sharp blades of rain soaked him. Lightening flashed in the distance and made a sickening crack like the sound of breaking bones. He held Ginny by the arm, almost dragging her with him.

He did as he was told. He was a good son. He was a good servant of the Dark Lord. There was nothing wrong with what he did. It was just another casualty of the war.

And Ginny, well that bitch got what was coming to her.

Three years ago if Draco was asked to do this, there was no way he'd muster the strength to pull through and murder. But after the incident with Professor Dumbledore last year, he's learned how to do these things without the anxiety and compassion; he's learned how to turn his heart to stone.

Draco and Ginny appeared outside the Malfoy Manor. Draco dragged her struggling figure through the dark and into the castle. Two of the guards standing inside the doors of the castle immediately took Ginny from him and tied her hands behind her back in a complicated knot. When they finished Draco led her through the cool, stone hallways until he reached a magnificent door guarded by two men.

They opened the doors for Draco, and he led Ginny into the room. Inside sat the Dark Lord. His horrifying figure left Draco almost speechless. Draco loved the power the Dark Lord had; the majesty he was. He admired the strength and nerve Voldemort attained through the years.

Draco saw himself in Voldemort's face. Draco wanted that royalty, he ached for power.

"Ah, Draco, it's nice to see you've returned so quickly. And I see you brought a blood traitor." He motioned carelessly with his left hand motioning toward the terrified girl. "Tell me, did you get the information we need?" he questioned. There was a sense of fake patience in his voice.

"Yes my Lord. They are training the Order members at the East Village Mountain in a cave. They arrive every day before the sun rises. I brought the Weasley girl in case we need anymore information that she may have," Draco replied.

"That was a great idea; however I'm sure once your aunt Bellatrix gets word of Ginny being here, she won't be in any condition for questioning. She's resented that girl for so long," he said. "You are dismissed. Go rest, and leave the girl. You have done well Draco."

Draco bowed and let Ginny's arm go. She fell to her knees on the floor, her hands resting behind her on her back. As he left Voldemort's chambers, he passed his aunt walking in. Apparently word traveled quickly in the manor. Just as the doors were closing, he heard the voice of the Bellatrix.

He furrowed his eyebrows at the thought of the things to come for Weasley. He began to walk faster, hoping to exit before witnessing any of the tortures.

As he left the room, the sickening snap of a breaking bone followed by a blood curdling scream echoed through the castle.

Ginny deserved it for betraying him years before. At one point he thought he loved her.

But of course he was just young and naïve.

At least that's what he told himself.

As Draco stood in the pouring rain, he thought about what tomorrow would bring. He understood that before he woke, the Dark Lord would have sent out a crew to the cave where the Order trained. He knew that by the time he would climb out of bed, there would be several prisoners down in the dungeons. For a moment, he wondered if Ginny would be down there. He scoffed and shook his head at the thought.

She would be dead.

He also thought about what life would be like after the war. Maybe he could settle down, find somebody to care about him.

It wasn't likely though; his mother hated every girl that ever thought about laying an eye on him. It was hard for any of the inner followers to have a relationship because they were always so busy, but Draco and Blaise shared an alternative.

Pansy.

Draco thought of her as a whore, but Blaise seemed to have feelings for the bloke. Pansy shared both his and Blaise's beds.

Blaise wanted her, but she wanted Draco. Draco wouldn't have anything to do with her if it weren't for the fact that she was the only person he know that didn't charge for sex. Plus, she was good after a long hard day at work…

As if she had heard his thoughts of her, she entered his room and walked out onto the balcony where he stood.

Pansy put her arm on his shoulder and turned him around to face her.

"Have you ever done it in the rain?" she asked. She pressed her lips against his, running her hands through his hair.

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

Harry Potter was on the verge of losing his mind. His best friend was killed by his girlfriend, who is now gone, and all of the newly initiated Order members had been captured by the Dark Lord. He crumpled up Ginny's note in his hand, and tears welled up in his already puffy, red eyes. His friend, mentor, and once teacher, Remus Lupin, entered his study.

"Harry, we only lost the young boys and a few girls that were with them."

Harry turned away from him and tried to compose himself. He cleared his throat a few times and turned back to Remus. "We lost more than half the Order, Remus. And my best friend is dead... she was murdered. Ginny is gone. What do you want from me? If it is nothing, then leave," Harry said firmly.

He was not typically so foul, but he was well aware what the outcome of this war was going to be.

He was extremely anxious at just the thought of it. Everything for the Order had only gone downhill, and Voldemort had only gained power.

Remus sighed and sat in a chair across from Harry. "Harry, I want you to hand over the command of the Order to me. You need time to pull yourself together after the tragedies of this week. We can't afford another problem with the Order."

He thought about it for a moment. "No. Don't worry about it, Remus."

"Just temporarily, you may find that you enjoy the break. I only want to help," Remus insisted.

Harry gave Remus a hard look and said, "Fine. _Temporarily._"


End file.
